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Chapter 48: First Impressions of the Starry Members: What is happiness?
🕑 Added 2025-02-04 01:50:13 +0000 UTCSomeone once said that happiness is something you can't touch or see, yet when you reach out, it's all around you.
That is happiness.
But for Hitori Gotoh, who was extremely shy and had just been suddenly hugged by Ijichi Seika—
Waiting for her emotions to settle down in this moment was definitely not a time of happiness.
However—
"It's really delicious."
Yamada Ryo wiped her mouth discreetly, letting out a rare expression of admiration.
And with just that one sentence, everyone present—except for Hitori Gotoh and Kita Ikuyo—nodded in agreement.
"This is just homemade cooking, so why is it this good?"
Ijichi Nijika poked at the now empty bento box with her chopsticks, reluctant to accept that all the food was gone.
She had always been quite confident in her own cooking skills.
Yes, it was just simple home-cooked fried chicken and stewed potatoes.
But why did it taste so incredible?
Before they knew it, they had finished the entire bento without a second thought.
Even now, Ijichi Nijika couldn't stop thinking about the taste of that meal.
"I never expected Bocchi to be such a good cook."
Sitting at the counter with her legs crossed, Ijichi Seika uncharacteristically gave a straightforward compliment.
Even she had to admit it.
The bento that Hitori Gotoh had brought was absolutely delicious.
She couldn't help but wonder when she would get to taste that flavor again...
Ijichi Seika sighed internally.
Compared to the reserved attitudes of Ijichi Seika and Ijichi Nijika, Yamada Ryo, leaning on one hand, had already turned her head toward Hitori Gotoh.
"Bocchi, cook for me from now on."
She looked at the shrinking, nervous Hitori Gotoh and, in a serious yet expressionless manner, said, "If you don't, I'll have to bully you—ow."
Yamada Ryo turned around to see Ijichi Nijika hitting her on the head with a karate chop.
"Don't threaten Bocchi."
Ijichi Nijika was used to her bassist's shamelessness, but warnings still needed to be given when necessary.
"But Bocchi's food is really good."
Despite being hit, Yamada Ryo remained energetic, her eyes shining as she looked at Hitori Gotoh, as if she had just discovered a gold mine.
"U-Um… I'm happy that Ryo-san likes it, but… this bento wasn't actually made by me."
After staying silent for a while, Hitori Gotoh finally mustered up the courage to explain in a small voice.
"Bocchi didn't cook it?"
Ijichi Nijika's interest was immediately piqued. "Then who did?"
"Ah… it was Minami-senpai. He said it was his first time cooking at home and wanted me to try it."
Hitori Gotoh shrank back as she spoke.
"Minami-senpai… Huh—? You mean Minami Shouji?"
Ijichi Nijika stood up in surprise.
"Minami Shouji…? Oh—wasn't he the guy who borrowed a guitar effects pedal from you yesterday?"
Ijichi Seika immediately recalled the name.
She remembered Nijika mentioning him yesterday—Hitori Gotoh's friend who wanted to borrow an extra effects pedal from the practice room.
"Yeah, Bocchi must be talking about him, but—"
Ijichi Nijika nodded, then shook her head in amazement. "That guy is seriously incredible."
Top grades, great communication skills, and now it turns out he's an amazing cook too. Not to mention, he's apparently quite handsome and even starting to learn guitar.
No wonder Kita Ikuyo had once called him a "perfect superhuman."
How did he manage to learn so much? Did he have 48 hours in a day?
Being able to excel in so many areas was beyond impressive.
"I remember Minami is supposed to come by today for guitar lessons with Bocchi, right?"
Yamada Ryo's thoughts started heading in a different direction.
"How about this—one meal per lesson? That's way cheaper than any guitar class."
She was seriously calculating. "No, maybe we could even sell his cooking. That would make even more money..."
"Eh—?"
Hitori Gotoh's mouth hung open.
"If Bocchi teaches him guitar, he brings a bento every day. Seems fair, right?"
Yamada Ryo perked up, her androgynous, well-defined face lifting slightly. "That way, we can all enjoy delicious meals every day."
"Uhh—"
As soon as she said that, even the adults like Ijichi Seika and PA-san fell silent.
There was no helping it.
Yamada Ryo's suggestion was simply too tempting.
If they had never tasted Minami's cooking, maybe Ijichi Seika and PA-san could have put on a mature, adult-like attitude and lectured Yamada Ryo about her shamelessness.
But after experiencing a home-cooked bento rated at a system-level 4.3 stars...
They couldn't help but feel that everything they had cooked and eaten before was suddenly bland and unappetizing.
Even without any so-called "happiness bonuses,"
That warmth—the kind that could chase away the chill of winter and wrap one's body in comfort—was impossible to forget.
If only they could eat like that every day…
Gulp—
Everyone swallowed their saliva and turned their eyes toward Hitori Gotoh.
"Uhh—"
It was the first time Hitori Gotoh had received this much attention.
Feeling the burning gazes of everyone, and recalling the memories that had just surfaced in her mind, she hesitated.
She had always been bad at refusing people, but this time, she somehow managed to gather the courage to say:
"Um… I still think it wouldn't be right to trouble Minami-senpai…"
But before she could even finish her sentence, a voice suddenly interrupted from behind.
"Sure, as long as we split the cost of ingredients, I don't mind making extra food."
"Huh? Minami-senpai?"
The male voice stood out starkly among the all-female crowd, making Hitori Gotoh instinctively turn her head.
And there he was—a young man with a guitar case slung over his back, standing at the entrance of Starry.
It was Minami Shouji, who had just finished a conversation with the principal of Shuka High and had rushed over to Starry.
He smiled and nodded at Hitori Gotoh, then greeted everyone else politely. "Hello, I'm Minami."
"He's Minami? Bocchi's friend?"
Ijichi Seika turned her head toward Ijichi Nijika, raising an eyebrow.
However, this time, her voice carried a hint of doubt.
And who could blame her?
No matter how she looked at it,
The impression this young man gave off was far too different from the gloomy and socially anxious Hitori Gotoh.
His skin was fair but had a healthy glow. He had neatly trimmed short hair, with slightly curled tips. His clean, delicate features were framed by a pair of strikingly clear eyes—eyes that gave off an inexplicably refreshing and comfortable aura.
But perhaps the biggest contrast between him and Hitori Gotoh lay in his demeanor.
Hitori Gotoh was shy and socially anxious—she stammered whenever she spoke to someone face-to-face.
But Minami was the complete opposite. His speech was articulate, and he naturally exuded a sense of approachability that made people want to talk to him.
And just from his brief introduction, Ijichi Seika—who had spent years in live houses—picked up on something else: a deep-rooted sense of confidence.
It was hard to miss.
She had a feeling that even if she put Minami in the middle of a crowd, she would still be able to pick him out instantly.
Maybe it was something about his aura. Ijichi Seika wasn't quite sure.
And that confidence—
Was precisely what the timid and self-doubting Hitori Gotoh lacked the most.
This guy was really Bocchi's friend?
It was like the sun and the shadows meeting.
Ijichi Seika couldn't help but be skeptical.
But then again…
There was no way he was just after Bocchi for her body, right?
